‘Black Day,’ Pakistanis Protest India’s Administration of Kashmir
Across Pakistan and in Kashmir, people took to the streets on 27 October to observe what they call “Black Day”, marking an anniversary deeply rooted in the region’s decades-long conflict. On that date in 1947, Indian troops landed in Srinagar after the princely state of Jammu and Kashmir signed an accession to India, a move that Pakistan and many Kashmiris say was illegal and triggered India’s control over much of the region. In Pakistan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reaffirmed that the day honours the continued struggle of Kashmiris under what it calls “illegal occupation”. Events included large rallies, seminars, exhibitions and special prayers. In cities such as Islamabad, Karachi, as well as in Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and Gilgit-Baltistan, participants displayed banners, raised black flags and held public meetings calling for self-determination. According to media reports, the observance this year emphasised allegations of human-rights violations, militarisation and the lack of a final resolution to the dispute. One senior leader described 27 October as “a naked aggression devoid of legal and moral justification”. The Pakistani government called on the international community to pressure India to comply with United Nations resolutions regarding Kashmir. Public participation was notable: in both rural and urban areas, people gathered outside mosques after Friday prayers, carried placards and staged processions. In Toronto and Chicago overseas, Kashmiri-Pakistani diaspora communities held seminars and programmes to mark the day. The day remains highly symbolic. For supporters, it is not just a commemoration of 1947, but a reminder of what they call the unresolved status of Jammu and Kashmir, the level of military presence, and the absence of a sustainable peace settlement. While India regards the accession as legal and final, the observance of Black Day by Pakistan and many Kashmiris underscores the deep division that persists.
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